The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-12-10

into intimacy, until his very soul be-
longed to her. and then how this very
evening he had been refused admission
to her house. and when he raved and
swore he would enter she came to the
door and told him "all was over be-
tween them, and he would please leave
and never see her again"
Il left her with curse" he said, but
here he broke down and sobbed as il his
heart was breaking. Icould do moth
ing for him; il the girl had tired of him.
it was certainly to his advantage and
time would SO prove it. But youth is
hot andimpulsive. and l knew he would
not believe me in his present state. In
a short time he recovered himself and
asked oh! SO piteously: Judge. what
shall ! doP You know woman; you're
man of the world, and then you
promised to help me. What shall l
do" / told him to go home and come
to me in the morning, and would try
and think the matter out He left me
and settled back into my chair. trying
to think of some way to help the boy,
when rap, rap, again at the door.
Come in!' shouted, and in walked
Mary.
She was all muffled up in rich furs.
but oh! what sad little face peeped
out at me from under the heavy seal
skin hat. / gave her chair near the
fire and waited for her to speak. Soon
she said:
Hes been herep"
nodded.
"What did he saYp" she asked.
I repeated his story. She listened
and then looked up to me saying: II
did it for his sake. did it, and here
her voice trembled. "because love him
and I'm not worthy of his love-I only
drag him down-he's young man.
with the world before him. and Tn an
unfortunate girl. whom the world CEN
sures; but, oh! it's 30 hard to give him
up. My God! my heart is breakingr'
and down went the little face between
her hands. and for the second time that
night my room resounded with sobs.
know it's very unmanly. but must
confess that the tears welled up in my
old eyes. and taking her little hands in
mine and gently patting them. said:
Tell me your troubles and will try
and help YOU" She told me her story
agreeing with L.'s-but said: II told
him did not care for him, but was
false to myself-he's more to me than
all the rest of the world; but it is my
great love for him, and my pride in him
that made me act so tonight. / can
not drag him down to my level. In
few years he will forget me and marry
some girl worthy to be his wife. l
could never be that to him, and the
world would laugh at him for his kind
ness and constancy to me-"
Again was puzzled. What could
say? She was right beyond doubt, but
it was hard-awfully hard on her. and
l shuddered to think of what her future
would be, when this little happiness
she had known had faded out of her
life.
Iadvised her, as / had L., to 90
home and I would try and think out
some solution to the case.
A few minutes later she left me.
shall never forget her putting her little
hand in mine, gazing into my face with
those pleading. sad eyes and saying:
II thank you, and whatever happens
try to help L. to forget me; but it is
so hard. so hardr' and out she went
into the cold. dark night. and the wind
howled around the corners with such
human-moaning sound that / shivered
and crept back to the warmth of my
Office. Well, there's not much more
to tell. The next morning they found
her in the snow-dead = frozen to
death, her poor little face all pinched
and drawn in the last agonies of death
and one hand firmly grasping letter
addressed to L.
We read it together-such pitiful
letter, such womanly letter. such a
sweet, tender letter. that i bowed my
old head and wept like child.
L. was nearly crazed with grief.
We left him alone with his dead, and
when few hours later he camc from
the darkened room in which rested all
that was dearest to him in the world,
be came to me and said: "You will
attend to everything. leave here to-
night. To stay in this place another
day would kill mer' I promised him.
and we laid the poor little soul to rest
next day.
In compliance with his wishes SIM
pie stone marks her grave, and on it
only MARY. Thomas s. Wilson, in
Omaha World.
IAE NllMREQ SEVEN